Field of the Invention
The invention relates to robotic assembly apparatus and more specifically to apparatus for storing electronic components to be assembled by a robot.
Various techniques have been utilized to present electrical components having leads to a robot for assembly. These techniques range from simple rack-like devices in which the components are positioned in notches or grooves to the conventional feeder tube devices, typically used for integrated circuits. Similarly, various techniques have been used to store components which the robot failed to assemble with a typical technique simply being a storage bin into which the components are dropped. Many of these techniques had the disadvantage that they provided minimum protection to the leads of the component. Additionally, they did not necessarily hold the components in a fixed position while the components were being transported to and from the robot as well as sometimes being rather cumbersome.